Wednesday, September 28, 2011

George A. Tann is mentioned in Laura Ingalls Wilder's story Little House on the Prairie. He was a black doctor who saved the lives of the Ingalls family when they all came down with fever 'n' ague (malaria) on the prairie.

Bennet and Mary Tann were neighbors of the Ingalls family in Kansas, and George lived with them during the fever 'n' ague epidemic. George Tann was fetched by the Ingalls' bulldog, Jack, when they came down with the fever. After caring for their immediate needs he turned their care over to another neighbor, Mrs. Scott, who nursed the family back to health.

The following is from Laura: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder By Donald Zochert.

There was also a book written about him titled Doctor Fetched by the Family Dog: The Story of Dr. George A. Tann, Pioneer Black Physician by Eileen Miles Charbo. Sadly this book is out of print now.

1 comment:

What an amazing story, made all the more interesting because like Dr Tann, I'm an holistic therapist and it's really awesome to hear about these true Pioneers of the Practice. Thanks for sharing Tammi....